[JoeWolf1]

I’ll be the first to admit, pre-season does not always translate in to regular season production. Also, you can’t get too up or down judging by his play in the pre-season, but I must admit Darko Milicic’s performance has been very underwhelming. Big body, new system, chance to shine, I’ve heard it all, and personally I thought he would put up similar numbers to when he was playing ok in Orlando. This pre-season he has managed to average…1.4 ppg, 3.3.rpg while shooting .313 from the feild and only .4 blocked shots per game. Maybe he’ll prove me wrong when the season starts, but with his history of poor production and inconsisitancy, this is not a good sign as far has him flourishing in another system.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I’ve watched him a little during the pre-season and he looks like he lacks confidence. He second guesses himself.

[TheAlchemist]

The guy must lack confidence. He’s been bad-mouthed since he was drafted and Larry Brown didn’t do much to help him when he played like 1 minute per game. Will he ever fluorish? I don’t think so.

[TyroberParticipant]

the talents there but after awhile of EVERYBODY calling you a bust, im sure that mess adds up. if he was drafted 6th or something in the draft im sure he would have turned out to be a decent player

[PureshooterParticipant]

He’d be better off resurrecting his career in Euroleague at this point.

[llperez]

damn, did i read that right…1.4 ppg? Playing for D’Antoni, you should get 1.4 ppg just by lacing your shoes up correctly.

[TheAlchemist]

haha, and 31% from the field. No-one has ever shot that poorly under D’Antoni. In fact, this is why Darko probably has no confidence. Look how quickly this turned into a verbal beatdown.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

^^Good post and well said^^

[rtbtParticipant]

Milicic was an 18 year old kid in a foreign country on a veteran championship team after he was drafted where he wound up glued to the bench for 3 years. Therefore, it’s no surprise that as many have mentioned above, he lost his confidence. As in most aspects of life, but especially so in sports, you cannot perform well if you’re insecure.

Having said that, I think Milicic has a bigger problem than a lack of confidence. He seems to have no drive to succeed, it’s almost as if he’s going through the motions. Let’s face it, Milicic is 7 feet tall, he can run the court, and he can jump. He had games in Memphis where he would score and rebound in double digits while blocking 5 or 6 shots. I don’t care who you are, that requires big time talent. But in the next game, his numbers would be almost invisible.

Since I couldn’t watch Memphis, I suspected his problem was playing on a team where there was a me first attitude. In other words, whoever had the ball in his hands was going to shoot. That’s not very encouraging for a big man who needs a PG that will feed the big men.

But since I’ve watched him in pre-season with the Knicks, I was seriously disappointed in his lack of effort. If Milicic had the drive of A. Varejo from Cleveland, he could be an All Star. But as J. Wolf1 pointed out, it’s still only pre-season so maybe he’ll come around. Milicic couldn’t ask for a better opportunity than to play with the Knicks who run the court and need both rebounding and shot blocking, something he can do regularly if he puts forth the effort.

[sheltwon3Participant]

I do hope that he gets it because I see the skill there but dude mental is not with it but if it take D Antoni half a season I think he can give him that spark but right now the Knicks look to be in disarray.

[quincey hodges]

more like a lack of skill..im tired of people making excuses for this guy…if yu lack confidence then you dont belong ..that simple..this is the big boys leauge not kiddie leauge..he was overrated thats why he never lived up to others expectation

[AllenParticipant]

Why are people still expecting this dude to just magically suddenly become a good player? The guy just isnt good. Its as simple as that. Hes not a good basketball player. Period. Its time for people to accept that.

[rtbtParticipant]

Milicic is physically gifted. Darko’s a legitimate 7 footer, he’s strong, he can run the court, and he can jump. You don’t find too many 7 footers with his physical assets. There were good reasons why Joe Dumars made him the second choice in the draft.

Milicic’s problem isn’t a lack of physical talent, it’s upstairs. I don’t know if it’s a lack of confidence, a poor work ethic, and/or no burning desire to excel. More than likely it’s a combination of all three.

The NBA has a long history of guys who were extremely talented but never lived up to their potential. I’m hoping Milicic won’t be next in that long line of failures, but so far he hasn’t demonstrated what he can do if Milicic had the kind of drive that A. Varejo in Cleveland demonstrates night in and night out.

[rtbtParticipant]

Quincey, the NBA has a long history of guys who were on the wrong team or teams, and they did next to nothing. Then they were traded and given a new life with a different coach, new teammates and the kind of conditions that brought out the best in them.

So maybe you’re right in saying we shouldn’t make excuses for him, but on the other hand, maybe there were good reasons why Milicic couldn’t or didn’t perform up to his natural ability. The Detroit experience wasn’t his fault. He was an 18 year old kid in a foreign country surrounded by grown men who just played for the NBA championship. There was no way he was going to thrive in that scenario and he never had an opportunity to make it work. I don’t know what happened in Memphis, but the NY situation is perfect for him to finally shine.

I think one area where we can all agree, if Milicic doesn’t do it in NY this year, his NBA career is probably over.

[AllenParticipant]

And “rtbt” if you dont know what your talking about (like you admitted) dont talk.

[quincey hodges]

he didnt thrive in det because he just wasnt that good..he didnt do much in europe and he hasnt done much in the nba..yeah there are guys who werent on the right team yet they were good, im sorry hes not one of them, hes the guy who just not that good reguardless where he is at…its really that simple…i dont think his career will be over if he doesnt do well here but hes not gonna do it( if it i being real good) because hes just not good enough

[quincey hodges]

yeah hes tall and can run and strong but he has no talent skill wise…if he did we would have seen glimpse of it in a couple games or a season..hes just not that good…you can give all the excuses you want but thats jut the facts unless he proves other wise..its like me telling you 1 plus 1 is 3 when the proof shows its 2..i can tell you till im blue in the face all the reasons why its 3 but the fact of the matter is its not

[rtbtParticipant]

Hey Quincey, you made a lot of good points, but there’s one area where I think you were incorrect. You wrote, “if he did we would have seen glimpse of it in a couple games or a season.”

Milicic did in fact show on several occasions what he could do at Memphis. There were some games where he scored 15 to 18 points, he pulled down 14 to 15 rebounds, and he blocked an astounding 5 to 6 shots. But for whatever reason, he never did it consistently. Milicic actually had the flashes of talent you referred to, and believe me, you need big time talent in the NBA to put up those kinds of stats. He has the physical talent but we don’t know why he doesn’t do it every night.

[quincey hodges]

below average player

[quincey hodges]

consisantly is what i ment..everyone in the nba can put up good numbers every blue moon…but if you have the ability to do it then you are conistant with it..simply put hes not that good..its that simple…even the kandi man was wayyyyyyyyy better then him and hes considered one of the bigget but in draft history

[marcusfizer21Participant]

Here I was thinking Darko could FINALLY find a home in New York City where he would flourish into a system that was said to be “tailor-made” just for him but 1.4ppg? 31 FG%? Wow! Mike D’Antoni will have his work cut out for him if he wants Darko that bad…

I just think that the pressure on Darko was too high… 2nd pick in one of the strongest draft class… I think he kinda gave up on himself… I think he was thinking that he will never live up to the pick and he will always be a trivia waiting to happen… That’s not suppose to be it… He needs to show that at least, he belonged in the L in order for him to garner respect to critics and fans like me. It’s a challenge to him and we are the ones who are testing his determination to at least gain some respect in the league… If he keeps on putting himself down, he will always be one of the worst bust the League will ever have…

[rtbtParticipant]

Although I think there are several more factors involved then the ones you pointed out, overall I thought it was a very good assessment of where Milicic stands today.

As I stated earlier in this thread, there are no external factors or excuses for Milicic this year. He’s in a great situation with the Knicks who like to run and desperately need a big man who can run, rebound, and block shots. All three of those are his strong points so Milicic needs to rise to the occasion and demonstrate the kind of talent he has. If he fails this year, I think it’s all over for him in the NBA and he’ll return to Europe where he’ll be a mediocre center.

[quincey hodges]

you gotta understand that even though hes a bust someone will still give him a contract to be a third string center or maybe even a back up

[The Big O]

What team would sign Milicic
the upper tier teams I don’t even know if I’d take him over Mbenga
because at least Mbenga knows his role on defense

and someone without confidence on a basketball team is so annoying and bad for chemistry

what team would want to sign him iyo?

[quincey hodges]

think about the bigmen who get signed all the time as third stringers..you dont have to be good just need to be a big body who can slow down other big men for a couple of min and give fouls…its a plus if youre 7feet tall

[The Big O]

So ultimately he’s a role player right?

[quincey hodges]

exactly

[The Big O]

I guess we agree on something .)

I think his upside is maybe a stronger Zaza Pachulia

[quincey hodges]

i cant agree on that..even in drakos best years he didnt put up better numbers or play as good as zaza during his best years..zaza produces more when he plays..hes even showing that in preseason

[Author]

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